ARF : Important forum to counter transnational crime – G.L.Peiris
January 2, 2012, 10:39 pm
by Zacki Jabbar
The ASEAN flag was hoisted in Sri Lanka for the first time yesterday, during a ceremony held at the Indonesian Embassy premises in Colombo, with the Sri Lankan Army band playing the "ASEAN Way".
Foreign Minister G.L.Peiris represented Sri Lanka at the ceremony, which marked the heads of the ASEAN Diplomatic Missions in Colombo - Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam and Philippines, Honorary Consul, jointly hoisting the ASEAN Flag along with the national flags of their respective countries.
The army band also played the national and traditional songs of ASEAN member states.
Minister Peiris, while recalling the historic ties between Sri Lanka and ASEAN, said that the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), was an important body through which the Sri Lankan government had sought cooperation to counter transnational crime.
Political, trade and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and ASEAN member states since 1967 have been mutually beneficial, he observed.
Indonesian Ambassador Djafar Husein speaking on behalf of the ASEAN Diplomatic Missions in Colombo, commended Sri Lanka for actively participating in the ARF since 2007 and contributing towards the maintenance of peace, security and prosperity in the region.
It was hoped that ARF members could enhance cooperation in addressing regional security issues, he observed.
Husein, said that ASEAN since its conception in 1967, had been able to overcome the challenges and wise enough embrace the opportunities.
Source: The Island, January 03, 2011
